Canadian team for World Championships to be announced by the end of the week.

Thursday, June 25 2009 - NACAC Team announced

The members of Team Canada who will travel to North Conway, New Hampshire, for this Sunday’s Cranmore Hill Climb, serving as the 2009 North American Central American Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Running Championships are:

Kyle Desormeaux is a two-time All-Canadian in track and field, one-time All-Canadian in cross country at the University of Guelph, and member of the Ottawa Lions Track Club. He's been preparing for the race with long trail runs in Gatineau Park near Ottawa, Ontario.

Paul Chafe is a graduate student in evolutionary biology at York University and a three-time All-Canadian in Cross Country, with PB's of 30:02 for 10K (road), 14:40 for 5K, 8:52 for 3000-meter steeplechase, 8:21 for 3000 meters. He was on the 2005/06 Canadian FISU cross-country team.
Graydon Snider is MVP of the McGill University cross-country running team and a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Quebec conference all-star. He finished third at the Tely 10-mile road race in Newfoundland in 2007.

Sarah Burger is CIS Quebec conference medalist in cross country for
Concordia University, and recently set a personal best in the marathon. She has been climbing the ski hill behind University of Montreal in preparation for the Cranmore Hill Climb.

Marie Elliot has been the overall female winner of Southern Ontario 5 Peaks trail running series, and has won several road races including the 2009 Chilly Half Marathon in Burlington, Ontario; the 2005 and 2007 Horror Hill 15K in Waterloo, Ontario); and two legs of the Cabot Trail Relay in Baddeck, Nova Scotia in 2008 and 2009. Her personal bests are 17:37 for the 5K (2006); 38:12 for the 10K (2007), and 1:22:00 for the half marathon (2009).
Syl Corbett is the 2009 Canadian Snowshoe champion, as well as a
multiple-time member of Canada's mountain running team.

Here is another interesting opportunity. We will be sending teams to this event, but support will be minimal. There are 6 spots available each for men and women: 3 in the uphill event and 3 in the up/down event. The positions will be first offered to those who make the team for Italy. If those team members decline the invitation, we will offer the spots to those who have demonstrated, either at the national championships or in other mountain/trail running events, the ability to represent Canada at an international level. This is a straight-up subjective team choice for now. As the event develops, so will our selection criteria, and we'll incorporate this event into our year-round planning.

See below for the race website. To put it plainly, your best bet to qualify is to run at nationals in Canmore--the spots will be offered first to those who make the team for World Championships. Please feel free to email me for more details.

John Lofranco

The website address for these championships is www.cumbriacommonwealthchampionships.org